- Docente: Sara Ciulli
- Credits: 7
- SSD: VET/05
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Cesena
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Aquaculture and Fish Production Hygiene (cod. 8834)
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be familiar with the tools to prevent, diagnose and control major infectious diseases of aquatic animals, with particular reference to the diseases with high economic impact, to those subject to measures of animal health and zoonoses. The student will be able to set up a differential diagnosis in the course of health issues related to aquatic animals to enable him/her to choose the diagnostic process to be pursued. The student will be able to choose and properly handle the biological sample suitable for the diagnosis. He/She knows the available diagnostic methods for major infectious diseases of aquatic animals, the potentialities and the limitations of current therapeutic and prophylactic treatments available in aquaculture and the mandatory activities and official interlocutors in the field of animal health to undertake aquaculture activities.
Course contents
The course consist of two parts dealing with major infectious diseases of aquatic animals and veterinary hygiene respectively.
Lessons on major Infectious Diseases Of Aquatic Animals (40 hours) address etiopathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and control methods of each disease as well as Italian and EU legislation referred to their control. Diseases will be illustrated according to major species affected and the environmental context they emerge.
Major infectious diseases affecting trouts and salmons: viral hemorrhagic septicemia, infectious hematopoietic necrosis, infectious pancreatic necrosis, enteric redmouth disease, vibriosis, furunculosis, motile Aeromonas septicaemia, Flavobacterioceae infection, bacterial kidney disease, streptococcosis.
Major infectious diseases affecting marine fish: lymphocystis, viral encephalopathy and retinopathy, vibriosis, photobacteriosis, flexibacteriosis, mycobacteriosis.
Major infectious diseases affecting carp, catfish and other freshwater fish: spring viremia of carp, Koi herpevirus disease, Koi sleppy disease, carp erythrodermatitis and infections with atypical strains of Aeromona salmonicida, motile Aeromonas infection, viral infections of Icutalurus melas, Channel catfifh herpesvirus, edwarsiellosis, Edwarsiella tarda infection.
Regarding Veterinary Hygiene Section (30 hours) the course will have the following contents:
Principles of hygiene. International organizations interested in Public and Animal Health (FAO-OIE-WHO). Organizations and role of the Italian Public Veterinary Service. Surveillance and bio-safety. D.P.R. 8/2/1954 n.320; Regulation 2016/429 and delegated regulations (2018/1629, 2020/687, 2020/689, 2020/691, 2020/692, 2020/990) and implementing regulations (2018/1882, 2020/690). Disinfection and disinfectants, their use in aquaculture. Vaccinations and vaccines used in aquaculture.
Practical classes on collection and management of biological specimens towards a successful diagnosis. With particular attention to: collection, storage and transport of biological samples; diagnostics methods for viral infection: sample preparation, cell cultures, virus isolation and identification; diagnostics methods for bacterial infection: sample preparation, slides preparation and staining, choice of medium for isolation and identification of bacterium by biochemical methods. Application of biotechnology and serological methods to the diagnosis of infectious diseases.
The course program matches some of the UN Sustainable Development objectives; in particular, knowledge relating to the correct management of the health aspects of farmed aquatic animals is essential for the development of a sustainable aquaculture system for the benefit of the fight against hunger in the world (objective 2), human health (objective 3) and environment (goals 12 and 13) including life underwater (goal 14).
Readings/Bibliography
Material provided by the teacher and available on Virtual Learing Environment at the following link https://virtuale.unibo.it/
To the students that did not attend the lessons I suggest to study on books
- Noga E.J. Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment. Second Edition. Wiley- Blackwell, Iowa, 2010.
-
Woo P.T.K. & Bruno D.W. Fish Disease and disorders. Volume 3: Viral and bacterial and fungal infections. Second Edition. CAB International, UK, 2011
-
Plumb J.A. & Hanson L.A. Health Maintenance and Principal Microbial Diseases of Cultured Fishes. Third Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, USA, 2011
-
Eiras J., Segner H., Wahli T. Kapoor G.B. Fish diseases Volume 1. Science Publishers, USA, 2008
-
Roberts R.J. Fish pathology. 4th Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, UK, 2012
-
OIE, Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals 2012. Access online: http://www.oie.int/international-standard-setting/aquatic-manual/access-online/
-
OIE, Aquatic Animal Health Code 2012. Access online: http://www.oie.int/international-standard-setting/aquatic-code/access-online/
-
FAO, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department: Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries 2011. Pdf scaricabile al seguente sito: http://www.fao.org/fishery/code/publications/en
-
Gudding R., Lillehaug A., Evensen O. Fish vaccination 1° ed., John Wiley & Sons, Oxford, 2014
-
Austin B., Infectious disease in aquaculture. Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, 2012 [Capitoli 9-10 su vaccinazione and adiuvanti].
-
Scagliarini A., Battilani M., Ciulli S., Balboni A., Gallina L. Manuale di Virologia Veterinaria. Bonomia University Press, Bologna, 2013. [Capitolo 9 Profilassi diretta].
All texts are available free of charge at the library or online.
Teaching methods
Teaching includes lectures and tutorials.
• The lectures are intended to provide and discuss the concepts in infectious diseases and the principles of veterinary hygiene.
• The practical classes are designed to make the student familiar with the instrumentation and laboratory procedures for the diagnosis of infectious diseases of aquatic animals. The student will be able to see and perform individually the activities to collect samples and to carry out diagnostic procedures. During some tutorials, educational films about the disinfection practices used in fish farms to control and prevent infectious diseases will be shown.
Assessment methods
The examination at the end of the course aims to assess the achievement of learning objectives:
- Knowledge of the infectious diseases of aquatic animals.
- Knowledge of the diagnostic procedure starting from a health issue in a given fish species.
- Knowledge of the virological and bacteriological diagnostic methods.
- Knowledge of methods available to prevent and control infectious diseases of aquatic animals.
- Knowledge of mandatory activities and official interlocutors of health issues to be undertaken in the management of fish activities.
The final grade for the course of Infectious Diseases of Aquatic Animal is defined by an oral test that consists in four specific questions on topics related to the major objectives of the course, two of which will focus on the description of infectious diseases and two on topics of veterinary hygiene.
The test is passed if the student will get a minimum score of 18/30. The grade will be assessed as following described:
- 18-19-> preparation on a very limited number of topics covered in the course and ability to analyse only with the help of the teacher, overall correct command of the language;
- 20-24 -> preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course, autonomous analysis skills on focused questions; correct command of the language.
- 25-29 -> preparation on a large number of topics covered in the course, independent and critical analysis skills; mastery of specific terminology
- 30-30L -> complete preparation on the topics covered in the course, ability to autonomous analysis, criticism and transfer on the subject, with ideas for self-reflection; full mastery of specific terminology.
Teaching tools
Video projector for lectures and to view videos. Equipped teaching laboratories to perform necroscopical, bacteriological, virological and biotechnological investigations.
Office hours
See the website of Sara Ciulli